Spartan Love: After Dark
by firerwolf
Summary: M rated SpartanXSpartan stories. I don't own anything from Halo. Pairings: JohnXKelly
1. R & R

**Pairing: John/Kelly  
**

**Title: R & R**

A/N: This is my first attempt at a M rated story, so please be kind.

John woke to lips pressed against his. He returned the kiss, hands moving to her sides and pulling her toward him. When they finally broke apart John opened his eyes. "Is that your new thing now? Waking me with a kiss?"

Kelly smiled down at him. "I have four years of affection to catch up on, John." Her fingers rang gently over his cheek. "You have a meeting to go to," Kelly informed him.

John wanted to tell her he wasn't going, just hug her close and go back to sleep, but he knew that wasn't acceptable. Their duty had to come first, though right now John couldn't care less about his duty. "Do I need a uniform?" John wasn't sure where any of his gear was. Maybe they'd just want him to be in his armor as the only other clothing he had was what he'd worn the day before.

"Yeah, I retrieved it from your room for you." Kelly placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "It probably won't be a long meeting and I have to go to one anyway. When we're done we can spend the day together."

John nodded, a bit reluctant. "Promise?" Kelly only let out a laugh and moved away. Kelly moved to a closet and pulled out a pair of uniforms. She lay them down on the bed and John knew the black dress uniform was for him. He made a quick trip to the bathroom before going to get dressed. He stopped in the doorway as he saw Kelly in her uniform.

"If I were you I wouldn't delay. You're going to be meeting with some of the highest ranked officers and they won't like being kept waiting, even if you are the mighty Master Chief," Kelly advised. She finished buttoning up her shirt and moved over to a mirror and checked her uniform.

"You got pants," John observed as he moved over to the bed and started to get dressed. "Do you think you could get a skirt?" Kelly looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. John stripped off his dirty undershirt and slipped on the clean one that Kelly had laid out for him. "You look good in that uniform," John explained as he slipped on the shirt of his uniform and started to button it up. "Skirt would be even better."

Kelly smile and moved over to stand before him. She fixes his collar carefully. "I'll see what I can do." Kelly gave him a quick kiss before moving toward the door. "There's an MP outside who will lead you to the meeting. Ignore his ranting, I'm letting him escort you as a favor." John opened his mouth to voice his opposition but she stopped him. "A favor can be a useful thing, and he is friends with the head of requisition. I could have him get me one of the standard issue skirt."

John considered it for a moment and decided he was willing to put up with the annoyance of a fan to get Kelly in a skirt. "I'll try not to be annoyed," John said as he followed her out the door.

From there john's day went down. The MP wasn't just a bit chatty he was excessively talkative and walked slowly. It got to the point where John just had to keep reminding himself of what he might get out of the favor. The meeting wasn't much better. He officers asked about Requiem, the Didact, and the Cartographer. Mostly they talked amongst themselves. John was physically rested but he still felt tired mentally. He found it hard to focus on their conversations. His mind went to the information the Librarian had given him, on Reach and the old training days, and planning out how he wanted to spend the rest of the day with Kelly.

"Master chief," the gruff voice snapped John back to the conversation. "Do you have anything to add."

John tried to piece together what they had been talking about but it was pointless. He didn't know what to say or even what topic they were on. "No, sir."

The admiral started continue bit a Captain spoke up. "For God's sake, Williams, let the man leave. He just got back yesterday, he must be exhausted after what he's done." John was grateful for the Captain speaking up. He was tired and he wanted nothing more than to leave.

"Very well, you're dismissed, Master Chief," the Admiral ordered.

John stood and left the room. He thought of heading back to Kelly's quarters but realized he didn't know which way it was. John moved over to a terminal and contacted the AI Kelly had mentioned to him. "Gabriel," the white angel avatar appeared. "Is Kelly finished with her meeting?"

"Not yet. She is meeting with Captain Lasky and Commander Palmer to discuss troop deployment to Requiem," Gabriel explained.

"Can you give me directions?" John asked.

"To your left, second right, third door on the right," Gabriel directed. "I don't think they'll mind you popping in."

John moved off down the hallway and found the room. When the door opened he found Palmer, Lasky, and Kelly standing around a holotank with a projection of a Promethean knight hovering over it. "Your teams would be very useful. They'd be able to handle the fast movements. The knights teleport and can do this fast movement toward an enemy. The Rabbits are our best bets against those tricks," Palmer explained.

"Agreed," Kelly decided. "I can commit however many of my soldiers you need." She paused and looked over her shoulder at John. He moved forward to stand beside her. "I didn't expect your meeting to end so soon."

"Sorry to keep her so long, Chief. Just wanted to be sure she was full read up on Prometheans before she committed troops," Lasky explained.

"It's all right, sir. Congratulations on the promotion," John added.

"Thank, though its not really how I wanted it. I always wanted to be promoted because I deserved it, not because the former Captain made a big mistake." There was a look of regret on Lasky's face as he spoke.

"You did deserve it," Palmer cut in before turning back to Kelly. "I'll get the number of troops well be requesting to you by tomorrow. I would say tonight but..." Her gaze turned to John and she smirked suggestively. "Heard you two have already shacked up."

John tried to keep his features neutral but Lasky looked openly stunned, as though not believing Palmer could be so blunt. Kelly kept her calm and changed the subject. "So when do we deploy?"

"About that." Lasky looked a bit pleased. "I was thinking this might be a perfect chance to test the Rabbits on their own, without having a Spartan II leader. I would think that you would have more pressing matters to attend to here on earth." John noticed Lasky glance toward him for just a fraction of a second.

"Don't worry, I promise to bring back most of the Rabbits," Palmer added. "Insert joke about Rabbits breeding here."

Kelly looked to John for a moment and then back to Lasky. "I do have things that need to be taken care of. I'm trusting you with my Rabbits, Captain. I'm sure you won't disappoint. Oh, and Shara, they do enjoy being given carrots when they've done particularly well." Kelly motioned to John and he followed her out of the room. "So, it looks like I've got some time off," she said once they were outside. "What do you want to do?"

"You," John replied without thinking. He frowned, knowing that he never would have said that out load if he hadn't felt so mentally strained. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Wow, you seem out of it. That wasn't what I was expecting." Kelly frowned and stopped. John stopped as well and faced her. Kelly's hand moved up to his cheek. "You need to relax, John." She pursed her lips as she thought.

"You are how I relax." John lifted his hand to rest over her hand on his cheek. "Being around you relaxes me." John reminded himself that they could be being watched but he found himself not caring. He attributed it to his mental exhaustion and forced himself to pull her hand from his face. "We should go somewhere off base."

Kelly smiled at the idea. "You know I know of a great lake we can visit. Beautiful view, calm and peaceful, and though it's on base it is far away from anywhere that's used." Kelly turned and led him down the hallway.

"I could use some calm and peaceful." John followed her back to her room so they could change out of their uniforms. John was glad to be out of his uniform and the looser fatigues felt more relaxing. Kelly grabbed a few things before they left. She led him across the base to a motor pool where selected a warthog. "Not a mongoose? There's only two of us."

"Wouldn't want you getting too excited on the way there. We don't want a repeat of the last time we rode a mongoose out of armor," Kelly teased as she climbed into the driver's seat. John knew what she was referring to but decided not to rise to the bait. "Come on, Chief. Let a girl take you for a ride."

John moved around the vehicle and settled into the passenger's seat. Once he was in place Kelly hit the gas and they sped of over the landscape. They were silent for a while and John tried to figure out what to talk about. He stared out at the vegetation as it passed by. This certainly wasn't Reach but the plant life was close enough he might still be able to see this place as a home, as long as the Spartans were there.

When they reached the lake John was starting to feel relaxed. He couldn't think of the last time he'd rode in a warthog without being shot at. The last time was probably all the way back to the drive he took with Kelly back before Reach was attacked. The lake was clear and calm, the grass surrounding it was a brilliant green with a few flowers here and there. John just stood and took in the scene for a moment, glad to see that there were places with this kind of calm. Too many beautiful planets had been burned during the war, too many places like this gone.

A hand moved to his cheek and Kelly forced him to look at her. "You're thinking about sad things." It wasn't a question and John wasn't surprised that she could read him so easily. His emotions had always been like bright neon signs to her. "Think of the good, like all the times lying in field together when we were kids, or that night we went skinny dipping and I touched you for the first time."

John didn't know why but he blushed at the memory. He shouldn't have been embarrassed, she'd touched him in the same place plenty when they were being intimate but for some reason he was embarrassed by the first time. Maybe it was because that time had been an accident and all the other times she'd meant to do it.

"You're still embarrassed by that?" Kelly raised an eyebrow and John frowned at her. "You know that was the entire reason we put our hands under the water."

John was surprised by the information. "You mean you did that because you wanted to touch me down there?"

"Yeah, it was because of a conversation with Linda earlier that day," Kelly explained. "She pointed out that we'd seen all the guys naked but none of us had ever touched one's genitals when they were naked. We had a bet running for who could touch a guy' junk first and I ended up winning because of that. Got a full sized chocolate bar out of it."

"You mean you felt me up in front of everyone for a chocolate bar?" John really wasn't sure how he felt about his first intimate contact with Kelly having been because of a bet. "Wait, we were playing Marco Polo that night. How did you know it would be me?"

"I didn't. I just had to touch a guy, any guy, as long as they were naked and I touched their dick, and it didn't have to be in front of anyone." Kelly stared out at the lake. "It just happened that way."

"Then you could have touched any guy?" Kelly smirked at him and John realized that his question had come off sounding a bit jealous. He decided he didn't have any reason to hide his defensive feelings and that more likely she would respond positively. "I don't want you touching any other guys." Kelly smiled and John was glad he'd been right. Some women didn't like men being possessive but Kelly seemed to be a hit-or-miss on the subject. Sometimes she liked it, sometimes she thought he was being insecure. He was sure there was a pattern somewhere he just hasn't found it. "If you'd really wanted to win and we didn't have to do it with people around then you could have asked. I would have let you touch me."

Kelly looked at him disbelieving. "You mean back then if I'd asked you to go into the showers, get naked, and let me grope you, you would have let me? I didn't know you were so easy."

John nodded without hesitation. "Of course back then I wouldn't have known that you touching me would feel so good." John reached over and his hand brushed hers for a second. "Though I might have requested to feel you as well, out of curiosity."

"You can feel me up any time, John. I know how good you touching me can feel." Kelly smirked and leaned against the warthog. "Now what do you want to do, and if you say me again I'm going to force you to watch clouds for an hour until you relax."

John wasn't against the idea of cloud gazing but he'd like to know his options. "What do I get to chose from?"

"Well we could go swimming, or we could lay in the field and just relax for a while, or we could, I don't know, climb trees," Kelly proposed.

"I don't know. I'm still having trouble getting out of a combat state of mind. All I can think is that none of those games would put us in a safe position if we were attacked." John could see the concern on her face and he felt a bit of guilt. He wanted to make her happy, not worried.

Kelly suddenly perked up. "I've got an idea." Kelly moved over to the warthog and grabbed some of the supplies she'd stored in the back. She returned to him with a small rectangular box. She held up the box and he could see the checker patter on it. "Up for some chess?"

"I didn't know you still played, "John admitted.

"I play from time to time. Fred likes to play, and so does Gabriel, though he uses a program to predict my moves so every once in a while I just move pieces about with not real play. It annoys him." Kelly moved to the lake edge and set up the pieces. John was surprised to see that it wasn't a classic set but rather a set that had Covenant pieces. On one side there were elites, blue armored elites as pawns, stealth elites as bishops, field masters as knights, ship masters as rooks, an elite with the two left mandibles missing that John identified as Ralts as the queen, and the Arbiter as the king. On the other side were brutes. Minors as pawns, stealth as bishops, war chieftain as knights, majors as rooks, a clan chieftain as the queen and Tarturus as the king. Of course she'd set it up so he was the brutes.

John sat down across from her and just watched her set it up. "I haven't played this in a while so I might be a bit rusty," John warned.

"Oh, making excuses and you haven't even lost yet," Kelly smirked devilishly. "I'm not going to go easy on you." With that she made the first move and the game began.

Half an hour later John was staring intently at the board, not believing what he was seeing. Kelly was lying in the grass on her stomach, facing the board. "You beat me," he finally admitted. "You weren't this good before."

"Well being in command helped me find the leader in me." Kelly sat up and started to put them back in place. "Rematch?"

John watched her for a minute and nodded. "But can we do it a bit different?" Kelly looked at him, puzzled by the question. He wasn't sure how she would react to the suggestion but he pressed on. "How about we play strip chess." Kelly opened her mouth to voice her objection but John stopped her. "When I'm playing I'm still thinking of combat, Prometheans and Covenant, but I could just as easily focus on each of your higher rank pieces as another piece of clothing I get to take off of you."

Kelly considered the proposition and nodded. "All right, give me the rules."

"Each time one of us takes the others knight, rook, bishop, or queen we get to take a piece of clothing off the other. Each shoe, and sock are a single piece of clothing along with pants, shirt, under shirt or bra, and underwear. If a person is put into checkmate they have to strip everything. If you get a piece to be promoted then you can put a piece of clothing back on. Clear?"

"Yeah, now prepare to sit naked in an open field," Kelly taunted as she got them started.

"That's where you're wrong. Our first game was like first Contact with the Covenant. I now know how you work and can properly fight back." John moved his piece and waited for her move.

"Oh, you think you know how I play? You have no idea." Kelly smirked and the game got really rolling. "The thing is you're too confident. You aren't used to losing."

"No, I don't lose, and you know that when I do I always win the rematch, particularly if the stakes are higher," John reminded her. "I think you've forgotten why I was leader of the Spartan." John could feel himself relaxing as they played. He had to control himself from getting caught up in his thoughts and making a mistake by breaking his strategy just to remove something from her. He had to stick to a plan if he wanted to win.

Kelly was the first to take a piece that wasn't a pawn. Her bishop took his knight and John had to allow her to take off his shoe. He stuck his leg out for her and she slowly undid the laces of his boot. She slid the boot off, her hand massaging his ankle as she finished sliding the boot off. John pulled his leg back when she finished. He knew that if he didn't she'd continue to touch him and he wouldn't be able to focus.

John hesitated for a second but moved his rook and took her bishop. He held out his hand and she stretched her leg out. He let her leg rest on his hand as he undid her boot and pulled it off slowly. He set it to the side, keeping her leg in his grip for a moment. His hand moved to her feet massaging the soul of her foot. Her toes curled and she let out a slight moan of relief. "Remind me later that I owe you a good foot massage."

Kelly nodded and John reluctantly let her pull her leg back. The game was more intense after that, each of them determined to remove more, though John tried to restrain himself. Forty minutes later they'd both stripped each other of their shoes and socks but Kelly had taken John's shirt and undershirt. It had worked his advantage as she was more focused on staring at him than winning the game.

"Checkmate," John announced. Kelly stared down at the board, trying to see if he was right. "You were paying too much attention to my king, not watching your own," John pointed out.

"I was paying attention to my king," Kelly smiled at him. "Bad luck, I was only one move away." She moved her rook and John checked, seeing that she would have had him in checkmate.

"Seems this time you weren't fast enough." John stood and Kelly watched him, confused. He moved to the warthog and grabbed the blanket out of the back, heading back to Kelly. He lay the blanket out and held his hand out to her. "I believe I won."

Kelly took the hand and he helped her stand. "Yes, you won," she admitted. "Why'd you get the blanket?"

"So that way you don't have to put your bare body on the grass. Who knows what kind of ticks there might be," John explained. "Now lay down, I've got an officer to strip."

She stood before him for a second and then lay down on the blanket on her back. John knelt down beside her and his hand moved to the bottom of her shirt. He stopped, his hand moving up to her cheek and caressing her skin carefully. He bit back the question on his mind. She demonstrated her skill at reading him by answering the unasked question. "Yes," she whispered.

Their lips touched, gentle at first but quickly growing in desire. John's tongue invaded her mouth as he fought to explore every inch of her, relearn every bit of her body. Her hands moved to his chest, trailing heat as they carefully moved over the muscles of his chest. He held himself over her as his hands moved to slip under her shirt, slowly making their way up. John had long ago realized that he could apply the strategic skills to these more intimate situations. It was all about choosing the right places to put his hands and mouth to get the reactions he wanted. He moved to kiss along her jaw which caused her to lean her head back, allowing access to her neck.

His hands pulled her shirt up a bit and he removed his mouth from her skin and sat up a bit. She put her arms above her head and he pulled her shirt up and off. He returned his lips to her neck, latching on and was rewarded with a deep moan and her body arching up toward him. He decided to use the chance and slipped his hands behind her to the clasp of her bra. He struggled for a few seconds to try to work it having been never good at getting the clasp unhooked. He felt Kelly's throat vibrate under his kiss more than he heard her laugh. He decided that the clothing could be replaced and with one strong pull broke the clasp. "Hey!" Kelly protested.

She tried to continue protesting but each time she tried to scold him he cut her off with a kiss. "You're better bra-less," he managed to assert. His hands moved over her side and he lowered his head to lavish attention on her chest. Her hand moved to the back of his head, nails starting to dig into his scalp, urging him on. It was no secret to her that he had a particular affection for her chest and she always indulged his desire to spent a bit of extra time on her chest. He pulled away as he shifted and found he was straining a bit painfully against his pants.

Kelly pushed on his shoulder and he let her switch their positions. Her hands moved to his belt as her mouth moved to his chest, lips trailing over his hardened body. She unzipped his pants and he lifted his hips to help her pull them down. She removed them completely, running her hands up his legs as she moved back up. She ducked down for a moment, nuzzling a spot on his left inner thigh. John moaned as she touched him, not at all surprised that she'd remembered his erotic spots. She moved up a bit and nipped at his abs as she moved up. When her mouth had reached his collar bone John suddenly switched their positions.

John returned his mouth to hers as he pressed their bodies together, letting her feel his arousal press against her thigh. He liked letting her know the effect she had on him, an effect only she ever had on him. His hands moved down to her pants and undid them carefully. He reluctantly pulled away from her and moved down, removing her pants and underwear with ease. He tossed the clothing to the side and started to work his way up her leg. He stopped near the bottom of her thigh and kissed at the flesh, enjoying the little sounds she made. He continued to work his way up, kissing his way up her stomach. He reached her shoulder and kissed at her collar bone as his hand moved between her legs. John worked her body in a practiced, precise manner. It was like a sword fight with an elite. He knew all the chinks in the armor, every place that turned her on, it was just a matter of finding the right combination and using the right tool, tongue, teeth, or fingers, to get the job done.

"John...please...I need you." Kelly's grip tightened on his shoulders and she pressed her body toward him. "Oh...I need you in me."

John removed his fingers from her and moved away for a moment to removed his underwear. Kelly spread her legs enough for him to settle between them. He moved into position and stopped himself. He gave Kelly a quick kiss and leaned down so his lips touched her ear. "I love you, Kelly," he whispered.

"I love you too, John." Kelly pulled him to her for a deep kiss, pushing her chest up against his. "Now...I think you've kept me waiting long enough."

John smiled and pushed his hips forward, sinking himself into her. They started to move, John setting a slow but steady pace to start them off. Their lips collided in passionate kisses only breaking to suck in breaths. John slowly increased his speed and Kelly matched him stroke-for-stroke. John let himself get lost in the pleasure and the joy if the bond he shared with only Kelly. Each touch and action was warm and soft, so human and vulnerable. He'd missed this human feeling so much in those last days of the war, during the fight against the Didact. The fire inside grew as his pace increased and his hands had to move from her body to brace himself and give himself some stability as he moved.

Kelly's nails scratched along his back and her body tightened as his name spilled from her lips in a scream. John continued to move until the fire inside him threatened to burn him alive and could no longer be contained. He finally reached release and stopped his motion. He held himself in place, not daring to move. Kelly was the first to take action, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. John reluctantly pulled himself free and lay down beside her. "Totally worth it," Kelly sighed.

"Sorry I kept you waiting so long." John places a quick kiss on her cheek. "I noticed you have some new scars. I'll have to spend some time getting familiar with them. I don't know what caused the one on your back, but I'd have to guess some sort of human weapon." John had felt the scar when he'd been removing her bra but hadn't seen it so he couldn't be sure. "Then there's the burn on your side," his hand moved over to trace then outer line of the scar. His hand moved over to a horizontal scar just below her navel. "And this one I'm not sure about."

"Those scars don't matter, John. They're from the past and were in the now." Kelly moved to drape herself over his chest and curled up against his warmth. "I'm just happy you seem back to your old self."

"I told you, Kelly, I lost track of me. All I needed to find me again was some time with you." John wrapped what little of the blanket he could around them and encircled her in his arms. For the first time in a while John felt calm, happy. There was no looming threat of the Covenant or a Forerunner. Lying here in this field with Kelly in his arms Cortana's question seemed to have an obvious answer. He wasn't a machine, he was human. John let the calm sounds of the forest and Kelly's steady breaths help him drift off to sleep.


	2. Date Night

**Pairing: John/Kelly  
**

**Title: Date night**

John watched Kelly as she easily dodged out of the way of each and every punch thrown by Holly. It was really just practice of Holly's form as there was no chance that she'd be able to hit Kelly. It had been fun to watch the Spartan IVs try to spar with Kelly and get sent flat on their butts. Since he'd been put in charge of training troops one of his favorite things to do was set up sparing between Kelly and soldiers who were too cocky or were particular problems with female soldiers. He also likes to set her up with talking to female soldiers after finding that they had a boost in effort after.

John waited until Kelly and Holly had finished fighting before he got up and walked over toward Kelly. She stayed back and waited for him to reach her. "Enjoy the show?"

"You mean did I enjoy watching you show Holly up?" John smiled a bit at her and she smiled back. "You want to go to dinner?"

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "You ask me out on dates at the most random times." Kelly laughed a bit. "What did you have in mind, Chief?"

"I told you I don't like you calling me that," John admonished. There was something about her calling him that which he didn't like. He wasn't sure what, just knew it annoyed him. "I don't really have anything in mind. I figured we'd just have dinner together."

Kelly laughed again but this time louder. "So you just want to have dinner together. That might not count as a date. I mean just eating a meal usually is just eating a meal." She shrugged, apparently not as enthusiastic as she had been a moment ago.

"You never seemed to have a problem before when we'd eat dinner together." John didn't know why suddenly their normal date plans weren't enough. "What's the problem?"

"It's just that that's what we always do," Kelly explained. "I know we're limited but…" Kelly looked away from him and John knew that she was going to say something about Fred. She avoided saying anything about her time with Fred when she could.

John had learned that she wouldn't bring those times up, unless he did. "Fred was better at this sort of thing than I am," John admitted. He knew that Fred had always been better at the romance thing then he was.

Kelly sighed but didn't try to avoid it any more. "He is a bit better at the romantic gestures than you are. Not that you don't have your moments or the fact that he's better at romantic things makes me love you any less."

John nodded, understanding what she meant. "I understand, though at the same time I don't really understand what I'm doing wrong with the romance. I thought you were teaching me about that."

"I wasn't teaching you romance, John. I was teaching you how to flirt. There is a bit of flirting to romance but romance is more than flirting. Things like when you take me stargazing, or when you got me that rose some years ago. Those are romantic gestures and I enjoyed them," Kelly explained. "I love you, John, so don't worry about it. Let's just get dinner."

John frowned, not liking that she was accepting his inadequacy at being romantic. She deserved someone that would be able to be romantic. He made a note to talk to Fred about what is romantic. He didn't like talking to the other man about his relationship with Kelly; about as much as Kelly liked to talk about it, but for this he was willing to put aside his discomfort if it made Kelly happy in the long run.

He let her lead the way to the mess hall where they grabbed some food before heading back toward the Spartan barracks. They decided to eat in the commons room seeing as they didn't have a good place to eat in their quarters. They sat in silence for a while until John spoke. "What sort of romantic things did Fred do that you liked?"

Kelly paused in her eating, frowning across the table at him. "I'm not comfortable talking about that." Kelly let out a long breath. "It's just not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on us, the time we have together. When I think of you I don't want to think of Fred in any way other than he's our friend."

John frowned, not particularly happy with her response. "I want to make you happy. If his romantic actions made you happy then I'd like to know what makes you happy." John thought it was reasonable. He didn't see why she would want to hold anything back.

Kelly picked at her food and just stared at it. "It doesn't matter what he's done. He isn't you." Kelly raised her gaze to John. "I'd rather focus on you, on the things you've done."

John was only more confused by her response. "What have I done that's romantic and made you happy?" He couldn't think of any at the moment.

"You've done plenty of things, John. The nights stargazing are romantic. The rose you gave me, I don't usually get that excited over nothing." She smirked as she remembered the name. John returned the smile, remembering the night well. "When you told me you love me even though you won the game. Those sort of things are romantic and make me happy."

John considered what she'd said. He'd have to think about it for a while but he was sure he'd understand why those things had made her happy and been considered romantic. "I promise that for our next date that I'll come up with something that will make you happy. Something romantic."

"Well you have been doing a good job of keeping your promises. Well, almost all of them." They both knew which promise she was talking about. The one promise that John hadn't kept.

"You can't rush every promise, Kelly." John returned to his food, glad to see that she was returning to her food as well. Their conversation turned to more mundane subjects for the rest of the meal. How the cadets were doing, what the new prototype Kelly was testing was, and what was going on with some of the other Spartans.

When they finished John took their dishes and made his way back to the mess hall to return them. Once he'd dropped the dishes off he stopped as he noticed a crate of supplies that were sitting to the side of the room. John eyed one particular crate and the food inside. He reached into the crate and picked up one of the bars.

"Excuse me, sir. Is there something I can help you with?" One of the staff asked.

John looked back at the man and held up the bar. "I'm taking this." If the staffer objected he didn't speak up. John left the kitchens and made his way back to the Spartan quarters.

When John reached his quarters he found Kelly putting away clothing from the recent delivery of laundry. He moved over to her and held out the bar. Kelly looked at it for a moment before she finally took the offering. "You got me chocolate?"

"You liked it when we were kids," John answered. "I saw it and thought that you'd enjoy some." John moved to the laundry and grabbed out what he knew was his and started folding.

Kelly stared at the bar of chocolate in her hand and turned toward John. "This," she said as she held up the bar. John looked at it but frowned, not understanding what she meant. He continued to fold and waited for her to explain. "Things like getting me this chocolate are romantic and make me happy," she explained. "I told you that you can be romantic."

John shrugged a bit and put away the clothing he'd folded. "I saw it and thought of you." John grabbed the clothing she'd folded and put them away.

Kelly removed the wrapper and bit into the bar. "Mmmm, I forgot how much I love chocolate." Kelly broke off another bit and held it out for John to take. He instead did the first thing that came to mind and leaned forward, putting his mouth over the bit of chocolate and her fingers. She released it and he pulled back enough that her fingers slipped out of his mouth. Kelly chuckled and took another bite of the chocolate.

John chewed on the chocolate, not a fan of waiting for it to melt. He hadn't had chocolate for many years, and it reminded him of days long gone. Of passing around a bar among the trainees as they all took a bite. It reminded him of stashing a bit extra away to share just between Sam, Kelly, and himself. John finished his chocolate and watched Kelly finish her chocolate. John leaned a bit toward her, Kelly leaned toward him as well and he closed the distance.

John's hands moved to her waist and pulled her to him. Her arms went around his neck and their kissing deepened. They backed up until Kelly's legs hit the bed. They fell onto the mattress and the only thing John was aware of was her mouth working against his and the way her flesh felt under his hands as they worked their way up her shirt.

John stropped, pulling away from her and looking down at his belt. The buckle was undone and Kelly had unzipped his pants. It was a system they'd figured out back during the war. It wasn't uncommon for them to partake in making out or heavy petting when not in their armor but they'd had a bit of difficulty communicating a willingness for more. They'd figured out a system that allowed them to easily communicate to each other if they were wiling for more intimate contact.

"If you're ready," Kelly muttered. John hesitated for a moment, deciding if he was ready. Kelly sighed when he didn't make a move. "Well at least we can still make out." She pulled him back down toward her but he stopped himself from being pulled all the way down.

John moved his hands a bit over her bare skin and concentrated on how it made him feel. At a time he would have been acutely aware that Fred had likely touched Kelly in exactly the same way. There was a time when that would have made him feel uncomfortable, but at the moment it was really just a fact in the back of his mind. It didn't make him feel anything, but the warmth of her soft skin under his hand did make him feel something.

John's hands slipped out from under her shirt and moved down to her pants. She watched as he undid the button of her pants and unzipped them. A wide smile spread over her face and John mirrored it. It had been a while but they were back to where they'd been before anything had happened between Kelly and Fred. Whatever discomfort there had been between them was gone and their relationship had healed.

He started out slow, knowing that he couldn't just rush head long into the way they used to do things. Sure you might never forget how to ride a bike but you still start slow after not riding for a hear. Though this was the first time he'd really be able to take his time, no deadline to get into cryo or meetings to go to that would cause them to have to hurry. John could feel her trying to increase the force she was using but he still held back. This was a chance they'd never had before and he wanted to take it.

Kelly moved her lips from his so he switched to slowly kissing along her jaw. "Are you having second thoughts?" she asked. John didn't answer with words, simply ground his hips against hers. She moaned at the force and pushed back. "I'll take that as a 'no'. Then why are you going so slow?"

John kissed his way back to her ear, tongue running along the edge before whispering to her. "I want to take my time, properly appreciate and savor this." He suckled on her earlobe, enjoying the way she moved head to the side so he had more access.

"All right, just wanted to be sure you weren't going to be leaving me hanging." Kelly sucked in air as his fingers found their way under her shirt to trail over her flat stomach. "How are you always so hot?" She muttered.

John moved from her ear to her neck, nipping and licking the sensitive flesh, enjoying each and every taste. He paused as a thought hit him. He knew that Fred had slept with Kelly at least once. There wasn't any jealousy from the thought just a new realization. Before John had gone missing he'd been the only man Kelly had been with, now she had something to compare him to. He wanted to ask if Fred had been any good in bed but he knew better. Bringing up such a thing would only cause problems. Instead he decided he'd just have to up his game. Either he'd been better than Fred and would only put the other man to more shame or he'd establish himself as the better lover now.

Kelly sat up a bit." Is everything all right?" She was obviously concerned by his sudden stop. She seemed a bit more jump, but he understood. They'd both been tentative about the speed their relationship progressed and, although well aware it was stupid, they both had trouble letting to of some fears that Kelly's previous relation had brought up.

"Everything's fine," John assured her. His moth moved over her pulse as his hand slowly worked its way up her shirt. Kelly relaxed and lay back down, letting herself enjoy his affection. His hand trailed up her stomach until he felt the cloth of her bra. His fingers slid over the skin, finding their way around back to the clasp. His other hand moved up back to join the other, knowing he'd need both if he wanted to have any chance of success. He struggled with it for almost a minute before he started to get frustrated and he had to stop his other activities to focus on the activity of his hands. John bit her shoulder and growled in frustration.

Kelly's hands pushed him away and he released his moth from its place on her neck. "John, not so rough," Kelly warned as her had went up to her neck. John muttered an apology and placed a quick kiss on the mark he'd left. He pursed his lips as he focused on the clasp, closing his eyes to hope it would help his concentration.

Kelly's lips touched his chin and started to move along his jaw. John shifted his head to the side a bit as she moved on to his neck, nipping and sucking the flesh. Like everything Kelly did each action was precise and perfectly placed. John felt her push toward him and he sat up a bit as she sat up as well. He didn't know what she was doing until he felt her hands join his and unclasp her bra. He would have been annoyed at needing help if he weren't so focused on the feel of her mouth on his skin.

Johns hands moved down to the bottom of her shirt and slowly lifted the cloth. He dropped it to the floor and his head dipped down to her collar bone. He trailed his mouth from shoulder to the center of her chest and started to move lower, down the valley of her breasts. His hands moved to the strap of her bra and pulled them over her shoulder, pulling it away from her chest.

With her torso bare his mouth and hands moved to the newly exposed flesh.. He sucked and groped the soft flesh, being sure to take his time and properly enjoy h"every inch he could get to. Kelly pushed her chest toward him, her hand moving to his head and pulling him closer to her. He only moved from her chest when her hand moved from his head, indicating she was satisfied with how much attention he'd given her chest. He would never tire of playing with her chest but Kelly would. John had turned his attention to her stomach when a force suddenly caused him to be flipped on the bed. John found their positions switched Kelly making her way down his body. Her hands moved over his chest and down to the edge of his shirt. He felt her grip his shirt and he sat up so she could pull the shirt off him. She dropped his shirt to the floor and her mouth right away moved to his chest. John let his head fall back and his eyes slowly closed. He focused fully on her mouth moving over his skin, trailing over each and every muscle.

John pushed his hips up toward her, trying to indicate what he wanted. Kelly pulled her mouth from his skin and smiled. "I thought we were savoring the moment."

John smiled up at her, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her torso. "If you want you can continue, you're just making me too aroused." He kissed her jaw, pushing his hips up again.

Kelly allowed them to switch their positions. John moved off of the bed and removed his pants and underwear before he turned his attention to her pants. Kelly moved her hips and legs to assist him with removing the last of her clothing. He moved back into his former position, his lips touching hers slowly as their bodies pressed against each other, enjoying the feel of the contact. John allowed the force of their kiss to increase slowly while his hands explored her body, seeking out the places he knew she liked. He felt a bit of pride at how many he'd remembered.

John shifted on the bed to allow him access to her lower areas. His fingers slid between her legs, teasing her as his free hand moved to her chest. Kelly's hands gripped frantically at his hair and shoulder, her breath quickened slightly and her hips pushed toward him. John slipped his fingers in, moving slowly as he focused on her reactions. He repeated actions that received louder moans or caused her nails to dig into his skin. He slowly increased his speed, ignoring her requests. He didn't stop until her hips bucked hard against his hand and she was screaming his name.

Kelly lay panting on the bed, her body limp. "You've never done that before," she commented. Her hands moved to his chest and lazily moved over his skin.

"Never had the time to do it before," John countered. He ran his hand over her stomach lightly. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Its not fair," Kelly grumbled. "How can you do that and the very first time you're amazing? Where did you even learn that?"

"Not everything soldiers tell me is incorrect. It seems that the key is to have at least one female soldier around." John smiled, hand absently moving over her stomach. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Kelly smirked at the question. "I loved it, John. The only thing I'd like more is this.",Kelly moved her hand lower until she reached his length and wrapped her hands around him.

John tried to prepare himself but he still moaned at the touch. "Whatever you want," he managed between heavy breaths. John moved between her legs and with her hands guiding him he slid into her. He started slowly as he had with everything else, enjoying a feeling he'd dreamed about feeling again. He alternated between kissing her lips and chest, increasing his force and speed slowly. The pleasure and warmth grew with each touch and thrust. It grew until all thoughts of pacing himself vanished and they moved in unison as they worked toward their climax. Kelly's nails dragged over his chest leaving red lines over his skin. Her body tightened around him and his name spilled from her lips as her body pushed up toward him. John wasn't too far behind her, emptying himself into her before lying down on his side beside her.

Kelly rolled onto her side and cuddled against his chest. John wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. He didn't even think before speaking. "How was I? Better than Fred?" Kelly frowned and John sighed. "I'm just asking if I'm the best, if I win?"

"Everything is a competition with you," Kelly groaned in annoyance. "John, I love you, so you'll always be the best." Kelly settled back against his chest and she relaxed. "Though that was the best yet." John smirked in triumph. "You know I'll be expecting it to be that good every time."

John placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Whatever makes you happy," John assured her. "I love you, Bunny."

"I love you, Chief runs with Moa," Kelly replied, running a hand lightly over his upper arm.

"That's new," John remarked. "Not bad really, but we used to ride Moa, not run with them," he corrected.

"Too bad we're too big to ride them now. I'd kick your but in a race like she. We were kids."

"You only won because I got kicked in the head by Sam's Moa," John countered. Kelly laughed and he smiled. He ran an hand over her hair in a soothing motion. "It's been a long time since those days."

"Yeah, it has, and a lot has happened. At least something's left after the war that made it all worth it." Kelly buried her face against his chest. "At least we still have each other."

"A lot of long hard fights, beating the odds, and surviving the impossible." John closed his eyes and settled into a comfortable position.

"Totally worth it," Kelly asserted. John only smiled letting himself be lulled to sleep by the shared warmth of their bed.

A/N: First, I think I'm going to do a chapter of this series for almost each of the pairings from Spartan love. Not John/Linda(obviously because Kelly/John is my OTP), Jorge/Emile(because in my head-canon they don't have a sexual relationship), and none of the NobleSix/Anyone parings(there just isn't a time in the actual game that anything could have happened).


	3. Drink

**Pairing: Palmer/Lasky**

**Title: Drink**

**Author's note: This story tries some new stuff and as you read this story if you think it crosses a line then please, feel free to tell me. I'm trying to figure out where the line is, where it is that things go from okay to not okay. **

The lights were all out, only the screen of the terminal on the other side of the room keeping it from being pitch black. Commander Sarah Palmer sat at her desk, staring down at the pair of glasses on the desk. Her finger moved absently around the lip of one the glass as she stared down at the liquor. She hadn't meant to grab two glasses, it was just habit. She would have preferred the drink cooled but she didn't have anything in her quarters that allowed her to keep the bourbon chilled so room temperature had to do.

Sarah stared at the second glass, feeling the weight of her failure. "I'm sorry, I truly am," she muttered. "I came so close, only inches. Could have shot her right there and put an end to that bitch hurting people. If that idiot simply hadn't sent Majestic down I would have been able to get the job done." Sarah put her elbows on the table and buried her head in her hands.

"I remember when we first met. You were still so new to the military but you'd left your mark. Did wonders with the _Hilbert_ in combat and you were helping us stay afloat in the war." Sarah lifted her head. "If I remember correctly I caught your attention. Took some guy to the mat. Don't even remember what he did to piss me off. We went for drinks. Didn't know at the time that bourbon would become our thing."

She stared down at the cup across the table from her and thought about her lost friend. When they'd first met Sarah had been awestruck. Miranda Keyes was one of the women she looked up to, making her own mark and was a great example for young women. Growing up Sarah hadn't had many women in the military to look up to. All the famous people in the military in recent years had all been male so having a female role model like Miranda was a miracle.

They bonded over the difficulties they were having in being taken seriously as female soldiers. Sarah had never realized that rather than admitting that Miranda was good enough to earn her promotions that people were accusing her of only rising in rank because of her father. That conversation led to talking about family. Miranda seemed to thrill in talking about her father, about his brilliance, and how he had inspired her to fight to be what she was.

The mood sort of soured when Miranda turned the focus to Sarah's family. She outright denounced them but it lead to Miranda questioning her on them which had led to Sarah trying to dodge questions without answering. It wasn't easy as Miranda was persistent but Sarah was just as hard headed and determined not to talk about her family.

What surprised Sarah was that the next time she and Miranda were in the same place the Commander went looking for her. It soon became regular for them to find a way to meet up whenever they were in the same place, or at least once a year talk to each other over vidcom. The one real constant was that from the very start they tended to sit down for a glass of bourbon. Even when separated by light years they both took the time to acquire the liquor before a scheduled communication. As time went on their conversations became more personal and Sarah found herself opening up about her family, and Miranda opened up more about her mother.

This was what Tom didn't understand about Halsey. From Miranda's own lips he heard her explain how she had been a neglectful mother, how she'd never made time for Miranda. She explained how it had stuck with her for years, trying to overcome the idea that she wasn't worth the time of her own parent, but thanks to her father who supported and gave her attention she had managed to pull herself up and have ambition. Sarah was glad that Miranda hadn't lived to see the full truth come out. What would she think of her mother is she knew that not only had Halsey kidnapped children but that she'd had the time and energy to give to them but she had neglected her own flesh and blood.

It was hard to tell exactly when but at some point Sarah had stopped considering Miranda just a friend and started seeing her as a sister. It was nice to have a woman that she could talk to about things she usually had no one to turn to for. They talked about the war more seriously, admitting how bad things were. Miranda was also the first person that Sarah ever talked about men with. Miranda had been the one to point out how serious Sarah was with becoming with Tom, how long they had been together.

It had been four years since Miranda's death but it still hurt to think that they'd never speak again, that Miranda had never see the end of the war. Sarah reached out and took the glass closes to her. "I miss you Miranda," she muttered before downing the drink. Sarah scowled at the taste. It had been too long since she'd drank and the liquor taste bitter on her tongue. She decided to leave the other one alone. She just sat and stared at the glass as she decided what to do.

Sarah stood from her seat and left her room, heading down the hallways. Her feet did all the walking, her head still trying to get things straight. She found herself standing before a door. She knocked but there was no answer. Sarah sighed and hit the controls. "Rollin, open this door," she demanded. The AI didn't question, just opened the door for her. Sarah moved into the room and the door shut behind her.

Tom sat up in his bed and Sarah watched as the sheets slid down his body and pooled at his waist. She stared at him for a moment, getting the last of her thoughts in order. Slowly she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, back facing him. Silence settled in the room as she stared at the ground. "Sarah?"

"If she comes back and causes trouble, I'm blaming you," Sarah snapped. "And you better not get in my way or send another team to stop me because if you do we'll have a dead team and you'll be _Captain_ until she's dead." She was scowling at him now, anger on her face but she doubted he could see it in the dark.

"Why does this mean so much to you?" Lasky asked, reaching out and touching her arm. Sarah moved along the edge of the bed, moving closer to him. "Why do you hate Halsey so much?"

"Because I know too much of what she's done," Sarah answered. "I've met the Spartans, good people that can never be free because of the choice she forced on them. I knew her daughter who told me how she'd ignored her flesh and blood, ignored her daughter, in favor of cold science. Because when she contacted Jul she let him know she'd work with him, and you and I both know that's why he attacked, why soldiers are dead, and she doesn't feel bad about a single one of their deaths. Because if she'd told us anything we could have taken military action, they wouldn't have Halsey, and maybe Requiem wouldn't be destroyed. Because the project she spear headed basically means that my parents were right and the UNSC does bad things. Not to mention her talking down the Spartan IVs."

Sarah's gaze turned to the ground as silence filled the room. It was Tom who broke it. "I just didn't want you to have to kill another person." She could hear him moving behind her. His hands settled on her waist. "I'm sorry I sent Majestic to stop you."

"I know that, Tom, but you don't understand. I know you want to save everyone you can but some people aren't worth saving. Halsey is one of them," Sarah stated. She felt Tom set his head against her shoulder.

"Maybe she's not," Tom started. "That's not the point, though. Maybe you do have all those reasons, but I know you well enough, Sarah. You see her as a bad person and you're trying to remove the red from your books. I'm telling you that sort of thing won't fix anything, particularly not anything you've done in the past, or stop the dreams" Sarah knew that he was referring to her recurring nightmares. Tom had asked her several times about them since they had continued to haunt them. She'd divulged that they were about killing humans or watching them die but hadn't been able to tell him more. Everything that haunted her was still under classified status. "Do you forgive me?"

"Don't lecture me, Tom," Sarah snapped. She felt him move, his nose touching her skin for just a second as he positioned himself for her answer. She sighed, knowing that she couldn't stay mad at him, or turn down what he was offering her. "Yes," she finally answered. It wasn't really him that she was mad at anyway, it was herself. She should have shot Halsey a long time ago, shouldn't have missed the shot, and she should have kept the woman locked up in a room as small as a closet where a Knight couldn't fit.

As soon as she said the word his lips touched her skin. Sarah's eyes closed slowly as he placed light kisses along her exposed neck. She felt him pull the tie from her hair, letting it fall free. His fingers slid into her hair as his other hand moved to the back of her suit. He released the seal at the top of the suit and started to pull the back of the suit open. He leaned forward, kissing along her jaw. Sarah turned her head and their lips met in a heated kiss.

Tom pulled away, his attention turning to her exposed back. His hands moved over her skin, under the suit, and pushing the material away and off her. He pushed it off of her shoulders and she helped him pull it down her arms. Sarah let the upper half of the suit fall down and let her mouth hang open as her breathing became deeper. His hands went to work on her skin, reaching around her and finding her chest while his lips continued to kiss at her neck. Sarah reached back, her hand moving to his head and holding him to her.

Tom slowly moved down her shoulder and then a bit down her back. Sarah kept her arm up, and leaned back a bit. This gave Tom the reach he was looking for. His mouth moved to her chest, lavishing attention on one breast as one of his hands moved to the other. Palmer placed her hand on his head, her free hand moving over his back. She wanted to pull him close like she used to, push him down to the bed but with her strength she couldn't risk injuring him on accident.

Tom moved and pushed her back on the bed as he stood. Sarah sat up a bit and watched him as he moved before her. "Knew I was coming did you?" She asked, looking over his bare body. He had apparently decided to sleep naked that night.

Lasky gripped the edge of the waist of her suit and placed a light kiss on her stomach. "I didn't know, but a man can hope." He pulled down the material and she helped him by moving to try to make it easier to pull it off. Once it was gone Tom returned to kissing her skin, running up her leg and stopping at her hip. Sarah had sat up a bit, leaning back on her hand to watch him. His fingers touched the sensitive skin of her sex and she let out a slight moan to encourage him.  
Tom moved a bit onto the bed, keeping his fingers moving against her as he allowed himself to move up to give her chest more attention.

He was close enough and in the ideal position for her to be able to return some of the affection with little risk. Her hand reached out and moved over his body, enjoying the warmth of his skin under her fingers. Maybe he wasn't built quite as well as a Spartan but he wasn't out of shape. For an officer he kept himself in good shape, a bit of definition but if she was able to do it gently enough to not bruise him she was sure she could find some fat in a few places, though she'd really have to try.

A moan slipped from her lips as his fingers slid into her and her hips bucked toward his hand. He head fall back and she let her mouth open, allowing the moans to flow free. He varied the speed of his movements and she just tried to keep herself form bucking too forcefully against his fingers. "I'm going to have you screaming my name," he said as he nipped at the underside of her breast.

"You'd manage that better if you'd use your cock instead of your fingers," Sarah shot back. Her fingers moved around the edge of one of his allergic rashes. She bucked more forcefully against his hand as he hit a sensitive spot. She ran her fingers helplessly over his back, trying not to scratch him but finding it hard to resist the instinct.

"Seems I'm doing just fine with only my fingers," Tom shot back. His tone was light and teasing, as it always was when he had the female Spartan under his power. "Though if you're really that eager I'll skip apologizing."

"No," Palmer gripped his shoulders, trying not to use much force but she was fairly sure she had left bruises. "Apologize," she urged.

Tom laughed and placed a gentle kiss on her chin. "If you're so insistent, and you promise not to suffocate me." He started to make his way down, kissing along her body. He made his way across her stomach, stopping in a couple places to kiss at scars or places she'd learned he had an affection for.

Sarah just let her head fall back on the bed and enjoy the feel of him getting lower and lower. His fingers continued to work inside of her when suddenly his mouth joined them and Sarah had to fight not to wrap her legs around him and push him closer. She spread her legs out enough that she could hook her feet around something solid to keep them from moving. It was a pity that the only reason he did this was because she was mad at him because Tom had a talent for it. She moaned and fought not to buck against him as he worked. He continued his actions until the pleasure rose inside of her until it overflowed. His name mixed with moans as she climaxed.

She felt Tom move away from her, avoiding her spasms. He climbed up onto the bed and kissed at her jaw. "I'm going to go rinse, you better be ready when I get back." He nipped at her jaw and moved away. He was going to rinse the taste out of his mouth, knowing that Sarah wouldn't kiss him until he did. They had long ago decided that after oral sex they were obligated to rinse out their mouths when they were finished. Sarah didn't mind it and she really didn't mind not having to taste herself on Tom's lips.

Sarah rolled over on the bed, setting her feet on the floor and used her forearms to prop herself up on the bed. She could hear Tom walking up behind her, a hand moving over her rear. "You know I'm going to have bruises on my shoulder," he said as he leaned down and kissed at a scar on her back from where an energy sword had gone straight through her.

"You said not to suffocate you, nothing about bruising," Sarah shot back. She was going to make another comment but he rubbed his length against her sensitive lips and what she was going to say was lost in a moan. "Damn, don't tease me, Tom."

"Very well then, _Commander_." Tom set the head of his member against her opening and pushed forward. Sarah was well aware of how he tended to progress so she decided to be patient as he slowly pushed into her. Once he was fully in he set his hands on her hips and just held himself is. Place. At one time he had explained why he did this almost every time. He had explained it at the first thrust being the deepest moment of the bond between them, the moment when she allowed him into her, that moment of intimate trust.

He never waited too long before he started to move, knowing that she'd get impatient. He started to move at a fairly steady pace, enough so that she could start to push back toward him at her own pace. His pace slowly increased and hers with it. She had to be careful to keep her force fairly steady or she might meet his hips too hard and push him back, causing him to pull out, which was exactly what she didn't want. While she had to keep her force regulated Tom's fingers dug into her sides, allowing him to use more force with each thrust. The room echoed with moans, deep breathing, the sound of flesh against flesh, and breathy words of encouragement from the two of them.

Tom reached around her and Sarah gripped the sheets tightly as his fingers found her clitoris and started to rub vigorously. It wasn't long until her toes were curling, her body tightening around him, and his name tumbling from her lips over and over as she came. Tom continued through her orgasm, still working his way to his own climax. It wasn't long before she felt him stop, releasing himself inside her. The two lay, half on the bed, as they caught their breath.

Sarah finally gathered enough strength and pulled herself up fully onto the bed. As she did Tom pulled away from her, also climbing fully onto the bed. He lay down as he usually would have, but on top of the sheets. Sarah settled against his side, draping herself partially over his chest. His arms wrapped around her and the familiar feeling of tranquility washed over her as she settled in. Sarah was tired, warm, and wrapped in the arms of her lover. There was nothing more that could make her happy.

"So..." Tom broke the silence. "Was that apology sex or "glad to both be alive" sex?" His hand moved up to her hair, playing with the lose strands.

"That was a mix of apology and 'I love you' sex. 'Glad to both be alive sex' is what we're going to do tomorrow in the captain's chair when the bridge crew is in cryo." Sarah gently moved a hand over his chest. Tom laughed but didn't make any indication of if he was taking her seriously. "Thank you," she muttered.

"You don't have to thank me for sex, Sarah. It's not like I don't get anything out of it." Tom placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"That's not what I'm thanking you for." Sarah sat up so she could look him in the eye. "Thank you for caring about me. I know I can be hard on people and it tends to push people away, but it's nice to have someone that cares."

"You're hard on everyone. Soldiers, AI, even your boyfriend. I don't take any of it personally," Tom assured her. "If people would pay attention they'd see that you push everyone and they really shouldn't act like they're something special and you're going after them. Besides, you're a bit nice to people when they do well."

Sarah's hand reached up and rested against his cheek. "I'm nice to you, most of the time. Then again you make me want to be nice." She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. "That's why you and I are meant for each other. Not only as lovers but for _Infinity_. You are the gentle nature I don't have, the voice that stops me from making rash choices."

"So that makes you the rash, forceful, and confident side that I'm missing?" Tom asked. "You think I'm not confident? I am a normal man who on a regular basis pins a Spartan to his bed. How is that not confident."

"You pin me because I let you. If I wanted you'd always be on the bottom, and you'd have to explain to the medical staff why you're covered in bruises and have a fractured pelvis." Sarah settled back on his chest, relaxing against his inviting warmth. "I love you, Tom."

"I love you too, Sarah." Tom wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her as they let silence settle in the room and allowed themselves to drift off to sleep.


	4. Words

**Pairing: Tom/Lucy**

**Title: Words**

Tom didn't really like it on the _Port Stanley_. It was just too unfamiliar, too quiet, and he wasn't sure how much he trusted the soldiers on the ship. They were being restricted too much and he wasn't sure what they were hiding. He would consider looking around if it weren't for the woman lying on the bed with him. Her arms were wrapped around his chest, her face against his shoulder. From her breath he could feel against his neck he could tell she was awake. Tom shifted a bit and Lucy lifted her head. She smiled up at him and Tom let his fingers gently touch her cheek.

Lucy opened her mouth and Tom froze, waiting to see if she'd say anything. Since they'd left the shield world she hadn't said a word and it was crushing to Tom. He'd hoped to finally get her voice back, for her to move forward in recovering. Lucy closed her mouth and frowned and Tom let out a disappointed breath. Lucy sat up and started to sign something. Tom simply looked away, it was the only way to indicate that he didn't want to know what she had to say.

Lucy tapped his chest and gripped his shirt, trying to get his attention. Tom wouldn't turn toward her and acknowledge her attempts to communicate. Lucy moved over so she was more in his view. There was a concerned look on her face and Tom sighed. "Lucy, just don't." Tom sat up and gently pushed Lucy off of him. He moved to the edge of the bed and slumped over, forearms resting on his knees.

Tom could feel Lucy's hands on his back as she tried to get him to turn around. "I just...I'm just hurt, Lucy. Years of trying to help you, get you to talk, but nothing. Then you meet some Engineers for a few hours, they get a little scared, and you talk for that?" Tom didn't hold back the pain from his voice. "I guess I just thought that I meant more to you than something you'd known for a tiny fraction of how long we've been together." Lucy tried to wrap her arms around his neck but he pulled them off. "I just need some time alone." Tom stood and left the room.

He didn't really know where he was going to go, just wander around. He just needed to get away from Lucy and let himself get his thoughts straight. It was hard for him to handle the idea that all their years together meant less to Lucy than a few hours spent with some aliens. He eventually stopped in the hangar, which luckily was empty at the moment. He sat on a supply box and put his head in his hands. It felt like he had been stabbed in the heart but there was no medic he could see to take the pain away.

"Tom?" He turned to see Kelly moving toward him. Now he was embarrassed for having been caught in such an emotional moment. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Tom nodded, turning his gaze back to the floor. "I'm fine, but why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the other Spartans?"

Kelly shrugged. "Maybe, but I wanted some time to think. There are some things I need to think about." To motioned for her to continue. "They won't let us see Halsey and they aren't really telling us anything. I know she kidnapped me when I was needed and lied about the weapons on Onyx but this all seems a bit much for crimes like that. At least we got a world full of Forerunner tech. That has to count for something. At least make it worthwhile that I wasn't there for John." Tom looked to Kelly who's eyes were closed.

"I'm sorry about him," Tom spoke up. "He must have meant a lot to you." Tom didn't really know what to say. He knew what it was like to lose people but the pain he could see from the Spartan II seemed beyond even the pain he'd felt when Kurt had died.

"I don't care what they say," Kelly asserted. "He's not dead, just...missing. I'll find him or die looking. I know John as no other person in the galaxy does. The bond between us is stronger than any force there is and I still feel it, I feel that he's alive." Kelly took a deep breath. "That's not even the biggest of the things plaguing me. Though those things I can't talk about. That damn AI is listening all the time." Kelly looked around them as though she'd find that box AI hiding somewhere.

"You don't like AI?" Tom asked. He'd never really felt one way or another about the programs. They could be helpful but sometimes they seemed like they were mocking life by imitating it.

"I don't like the lack of privacy. I don't want to censor myself all the time because I know there's an ear constantly listening to me. It's just...I don't like it." Kelly scowled and turned to Tom. "You know as a soldier you have to learn to trust your instincts. When something doesn't feel right you have to trust that instinct." Kelly gave him a very serious look, as though trying to burn her words into his mind. Her gaze suddenly turned more relaxed and friendly. "So tell me what's wrong."

Tom froze, trying to understand what had happened. She had seemed like she'd really meant the thing about things not feeling right. It took a second for his mind to process that she did mean it but was trying to cover up the message so the AI wouldn't catch on. He was at least glad to know that his uneasy feeling about the crew's actions wasn't all in his head. He finally managed to answer her question, though he wasn't able to come up with a lie quick enough so he went with the truth. "It's Lucy."

"I would think you'd be happy about her. I mean she's talking again, or has she been talking your ear off?" Kelly asked.

"It's the exact opposite. She hasn't said a word since the first time. She won't even say anything to me." Tom hung his head and Kelly put a gentle hand on his back. "I just don't understand what I did wrong. Years of making her happy, trying to help her, and working to try to get her to talk again and she talks because Halsey scared some floating bags of gas." There was anger and Tom's voice now. "So what was all that effort for? Wasted? Does this mean she doesn't feel the same way about me? Years of our bond which doesn't matter at all but her knowing some aliens for a few hours was all she needed." Tom couldn't help the tears that were running down his cheeks. "For years she's been the only thing that mattered to me but how am I not supposed to feel unwanted when she apparently loves an organic computer more than me? Do you know what it feels like to know the person you love doesn't need you?"

"I do know what it's like. John is an amazing Spartan and all the time I've feared he'd replace me or realize he's good enough on his own. Part of my contribution to Blue Team was I used to take care of any locks that needed to break or any time we needed to hack a system. Then he tells me that he's been given a smart AI, so I don't have to do that anymore. Suddenly you feel like part of the reason they needed you is gone. If the AI could make a hologram run quickly then I'd be screwed. John wouldn't even need me to be his rabbit." Kelly dropped her arm from his back and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "Even if he didn't want me any more I'd still love him."

"It's not like I don't love Lucy, I'm just hurt. Maybe I'm just being selfish." Tom didn't know what to think. Was it too much for him to be asking her to speak to him? "I mean I just want one word. Yes, no, turtle. I'd even be happy if what she said was that she didn't love me. I just...I want to hear her voice."

"Usually I'm good with words. John used to say I always knew what to say, but I don't know what to tell you. It doesn't make sense, and you're not wrong to be upset. If I were in your position I'd be upset. You might just have to wait for it to pass. Though, maybe she'll say something to you if you tell her how upset you are."

Tom sighed and stood up. "Well, maybe you're right. I'll leave you with your thoughts. I hope the UNSC hasn't invented mind reading devices." Tom gave her a small smile before he left. He made his way back to the room he was sharing with Lucy. When he entered he found her curled up tight on her bed. Tom decided he wasn't quite over his issues and anger enough to join her and moved to his bed beside hers. He stopped as he realized that there was a paper note on his pillow. Tom glanced over to Lucy before grabbing the note and sitting down on his bed.

_Tom, I know you're mad at me so you'll sleep in this bed. See, you're not the only one that can read the other's mind. I wish I had some reason why what happened happened but there is simply no logic to be found. Even the Engineers said that only my friends could fix me, and I always thought that maybe one day, with your warmth and love, I would be able to deal enough with the bad things and be able to speak again. I always thought you'd be the first to hear my voice after all these years, and I didn't expect to talk. All the time I shout, knowing words won't come out, and I have no reasoning for why sound came out that time. You mean so much more to me than anyone else in the universe ever could. _

_I want to speak to you Tom but you must realize one thing. You have been waiting years to hear my voice and I've waited years to be able to speak to you again. When I do speak I don't want it to be some meaningless phrase like 'what's for breakfast'. I want it to mean something. I need the perfect words to say. I think I've found the right words, if you're willing to listen. _

Tom stared down at the note, reading it over a second time. He set the paper to the side and stood. He hesitated for a second before he sat down on the bed with Lucy. Tom lay down carefully beside her, trying not to disturb her too much. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she turned toward him. Her eyes were open and she was smiling. Tom couldn't help but smile back. "You had something you wanted to say?"

Lucy nodded, taking a moment to massage her throat and form the words. Tom couldn't help but hold his breath as he waited to see if this time she would actually speak. "I love you, Tom." Her voice was still rough from not being used but in that moment it was the greatest sound Tom had ever heard. He grinned and rolled them over so she was beneath him. Their lips met and he held her tight to his body.

Their kissing became more intense and Tom was fairly sure he'd never get enough. He was sure he could spend the rest of his life lavishing attention on her mouth, that wonderful thing that had allowed her beautiful voice to be returned to him. He was surprised when her body pushed up against his and she tugged on his shirt. Tom pulled back, understanding her normal signal for wanting to tell him something. He was surprised when she instead used him moving back to pull his shirt up and off. She let it fall to the ground and her hands moved to his chest, running over his skin.

Tom's eyes met Lucy's and she nodded, pushing her hips up against his. Tom leaned down and their lips connected again. His hands moved cautiously to the bottom of her shirt. This was something they'd both waited for until the time was right. If Lucy felt she was ready then Tom was ready as well. He gripped the cloth and pulled up, they broke apart and Lucy sat up enough for him to pull her shirt off. His hands slid over her skin, enjoying feeling it like he'd never felt it before. His hands slid around her back and easily found the clasp of her bra. He unhooked it easily and pulled back. Lucy smiled up at him as she slid the cloth down her arms, giving him access.

Tom moved his hands up her hips, over the soft flesh, to her chest. Sure he'd seen her plenty of times in the shower and he'd bandaged up her chest a couple times, but this was different. This was intimate, sexual, and it felt different than any other time. His mouth dipped down to her neck as he started to explore her chest with his hands. He repeated any action that seemed to get a positive reaction from her, trying to learn as he went. He slowly moved his mouth down to her chest, enjoying the taste of her skin but also beating down his own fears that he'd screw up. He found a whole new set of tastes and places to tease, taking pleasure in the way she'd grip his shoulders and buck up toward him when he found a good spot.

He hadn't even realized how aroused he was until Lucy started to grind her hips against his. He moaned at the contact and was forced to break from her chest. She took the opening and her hands swiftly moved from his shoulders down to his waist. She undid his belt and pulled down the zipper. Tom took in a sharp breath as her hand brushed against his erection. She stared down at his open fly, hands moving to his side and gripping both his pants and his underwear. Tom felt nervous about her reaction. Sure she'd felt him aroused before after wet dreams about her and she'd seen him in the shower but she'd never seen him naked and aroused. She pulled down his pants and he saw her eyes widen slightly. Her gaze turned back to Tom. "Can I fit that?"

Tom smiled and shrugged. "I don't know. We won't know until we try." He pulled back from her and stood beside the bed. He removed the last of his clothing and then turned his attention to Lucy. He undid her belt and opened her pants, slowly pulling them down. He made sure they were fully off, waking her socks with it. He then moved up onto the bed again and had Lucy pull her knees up half way. He pulled off her underwear and set himself at her feet.

Tom placed his hands on her knees. "Ready?" Lucy nodded and Tom guided her legs open and he looked down at her fully bare body. He nodded his head and smiled at her. "You'll be fine," he assured her. He moved up into position but realized that he was missing an important bit of information. He didn't know where he was supposed to enter. He didn't want to really admit that he'd never really looked up the specifics. He knew enough though that he knew where to look.

Tom's hand moved down between her legs. His fingers gently touched her sex and he was rewarded with a sigh of pleasure from Lucy. At least he knew that while he was looking she'd enjoy it, his fingers explored, pushing and poking to try to find the correct spot. If Lucy had caught on that he was flying blind she didn't show it. The woman was too wrapped up in the pleasure his exploration was bringing her. After some searching he found a spot where his fingers sank into her. She winced and Tom stopped moving. "Are you all right?"

Lucy nodded. "Supposed to hurt." She laid her head back on the bed and gripped the sheets. "Keep going."

Tom leaned down and placed a kiss on her stomach before he began again to push his fingers in. She winced a few more times but Tom kept going until his finger was mostly in. He stopped there, letting Lucy adjust. When she seemed to relax he moved his finger, slowly withdrawing and pushing it back in. He continued his actions Lucy stopped tensing when he pushed in. He watched her as she reacted to each movement of his finger. He paused for a moment and sighed. "We have two options." Lucy raised her head to look down at him. "We can either work another finger in or we can move straight to the main event. You're the one that's going to be in any pain, so I'll leave the choice to you."

Lucy let her head fall back. "I think we've waited long enough." She gripped the sheets a bit in anticipation. She bucked toward him a bit as he moved his finger again. "It will be less pain in the end anyway," she reasoned. She let out a moan and her toes curled.

Tom removed his finger and set himself in place. He had to grip himself to position himself properly. He pushed forward enough that he wouldn't move and then moved his hands to the bed so he could better steady himself. He slowly pushed forward and stopped when it seemed that she was in too much pain. He would wait until she had relaxed before he'd push in more. He had to be careful and control himself, being sure not to rush and stop when he had to. It felt better than anything he'd felt before and he knew that if he wasn't careful he might move faster than Lucy is ready for.

He worked his way all the way into her and let her adjust to his full size. Once he was sure she'd adjusted he pulled himself almost all the way out. He had to repeat working his way in several times before she became more at ease. He could tell that it still hurt but it wasn't hurting as much as before. As he set a slow pace he could see her becoming more and more comfortable with each thrust. When she seemed fully comfortable he started to increase his pace.

He continued to increase his speed, lost in the pleasure of their activity. He didn't even know what to expect, or what they were working toward. He could feel something collecting inside of him, like working his way up a hill though he didn't know what would happen when he reached the top. Lucy was vocal, not with words but with sounds that he didn't know she could make. When she'd been mute Lucy hadn't made that many sounds unless she had to or they were small natural noises. He certainly had never heard her make a sound like this.

He felt her inner walls tighten around him and she moaned his name. He continued to move until he reached the top of that hill. He felt himself release into her and he held himself still. Tom looked to Lucy who was panting to catch her breath. "Did we do it right?"

Lucy didn't answer right away. She was boneless under him, exhausted. She finally shrugged as a response. Tom slowly pulled himself out, being careful as he didn't have any idea what he was doing. He lay down beside her and Lucy turned toward him, nuzzling her face against his chest. "I don't feel like a complete failure so I'm going to mark this off as a success."

"I love you, Tom." Lucy laid an arm over his waist and made herself comfortable. Tom smiled and hugged her close to his chest.

"I love you too, Lucy." He couldn't help but grin, happy to be able to say that in response to her words. He closed his eyes and settled in, letting himself give in to the sleep that his tired body demanded.

Tom sat in the commons area of the ship, Lucy leaning against him. He was reading over his report about Onyx, wanting to check it over, trying to ignore the soldier that was staring at them. Kelly moved into the room and smiled at him. "See things worked out."

Tom nodded and hugged Lucy to his side a bit tighter. "Everything's good."

Kelly moved over to a table and sat down. She glanced over at, Tom was fairly sure the man's name was Mal. The soldier was still staring at Tom and Lucy and had been since they'd sat down together. "What are you staring at?" Kelly asked the soldier.

Mal turned toward Kelly, seeming a bit embarrassed to have been caught. He looked down at the table for a moment before answering. "Naomi isn't really the warmest of people, and the Captain isn't really what you think of when you think of a Spartan." His gaze turned back to Tom and Lucy. "I guess when you think of Spartans you think of giant robot-like killing machines. I just...I didn't know they could be…" he motioned toward the Spartan III.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?" Kelly asked. "I just don't understand what you mean."

"Well...you don't think of Spartans as being able to love," Mal explained.

"I assure you that Spartans can love. I know it firsthand. A Spartan can bust your head open with very little effort but still touch a lover gently." Kelly sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "We are people after all. Humans, and love is human. "

"I know that," Mal defended. "It's just not what you think about when you think of Spartans." Mal looked uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he had absently been threatened. "You just don't see it at all."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't exist. There are plenty of humans that don't like to show sensitivity but you don't assume that all humans don't know how to be sensitive. Why assume all Spartans are the same? Why assume that just because Spartans are private people they can't love?" Kelly was obviously insulted by what the soldier had said.

"Listen, I know when I've lost a battle, against a Spartan or a woman. I'm going to do the smartest thing to do and leave." Mal stood and grabbed his mug of coffee. He nodded to them and then left. Kelly watched him go and then turned to Tom. He simply shrugged, not sure what to say.

Kelly stood form her seat. "I'm going to see if this place has a gym. Though if it doesn't then I don't understand how any soldier can live on it." Kelly moved out of the commons area and left the Spartan IIIs alone.

"Is she all right?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Tom assured her. "I was upset when you were missing. I can't really blame her for being upset." Lucy looked at him and Tom placed a kiss on her cheek. "Don't worry about it." She shrugged, letting it go. Tom turned his attention back to the report and picked up where he left off.


	5. Strip Poker

**Pairing: Lasky/Palmer**

**Title: Strip poker**

Tom sat at the table, frowning down at the schedule in his hand. He liked being first officer of Infinity but it had certain obligations. Obligations like having to attend every event. He didn't mind the fun run, though he wasn't looking forward to being outdone by Sarah. Most likely she'd take off like a rocket. Fun run or not it was still a race to her. He'd already put in the forms for the valentine's day dance, and he was glad to not be in charge of making a speech on Infinity day. What he wasn't looking forward to was the event after the fun run but before the Valentine's dance.

Tom looked up as Sarah moved into the apartment. The woman moved toward him and Tom shifted to allow her to take her usual position. She sat down on the couch with him and leaned back against the arm of the sofa. "Rough day?" Tom asked, setting the schedule to the side.

"I hate dealing with ONI pricks who can't pull their heads out of their asses long enough to realize what they want is stupid." Sarah groaned and closed her eyes, trying to relax. "So how was your day?" She stretched out her legs at rested her feet on Tom's lap.

Tom slipped off her shoes and held one up for inspection. They were boots, which didn't go at all with her white uniform. He always wondered if she did it just to set herself off from all the officers that she saw as out of touch from ground soldiers. "Rather boring, but that's how shore leave is supposed to be. No stress, just relaxing. Maybe even a little fun with a sexy woman." Sarah smiled at him and Tom's hands went to her feet. His thumb pressed against the soul of her feet and started to rub them. "Maybe a lovely woman in a white uniform that I can tear off her later. Perhaps I'll order in delivery from Golden Eagle, and sit down to watch a romantic comedy. Then, if she's interested, we'll break out the whip cream and make a mess of the sheets. What do you say to that?"

"I say you need to get laid," Sarah answered. "Lucky for you I think I know of a Spartan that might be willing." Tom smirked and pushed her feet off his lap. He moved down the couch and held himself over her. "So what were you reading, Commander?"

Tom set his forehead against hers. "Just reading the event schedule for February. Trying to come up with excuses not to go," he admitted. Tom placed a kiss on her cheek and them her jaw, trying to get things heated up.

"What, afraid I'll show you up too bad at the run or the Captain will back out of his speech?" Sarah's hand moved up to his neck.

"The Captain can't back out of the speech, he'd get in trouble. As for the run I've got some officers that I'm going to run with so I'll be with a group. Besides, once you've finished you can get us a pizza. By the time I'm finished it'll be ready." Tom placed a kiss on her lips, trying to turn the focus to his attempts at affection.

"It would be cold by the time you to finished," Sarah teased. "Though it's not always bad that you're a slow finisher." Her hand moved up to his hair and pulled him down toward her. Their lips met with a bit too much force and Tom winced. Sarah's hands released him and she pulled away as though he were suddenly as hot as burning coal. "Sorry."

Tom pulled away and his hand went to his mouth. His lips hurt but if he was lucky that would be the worst of it. "It's all right," he assured her.

Sarah sulked a bit, having never really come to terms with how her augmentations restricted her ability to be physical with him. Her eyes suddenly widened and she sat up. She scowled at him as her brow knit together. "You aren't planning on backing out of the Valentine's day dance, are you?"

Tom was surprised by the question. His hands cupped her cheeks and he pressed his lips to hers, ignoring the pain. When he broke apart he answered her. "I'm not missing that dance for any reason. How could I ever pass up a chance to see you in a dress? Though maybe this year a dress that's a bit less alluring. I didn't like how many guys were looking at you last year." Tom hadn't particularly liked the fact that they weren't particularly public with their relationship so he really only got to look at her and have quiet conversations. He particularly hadn't like suffering through Spartans who thought themselves good enough to ask her to dance.

Sarah smirked and relaxed onto the couch. "I suppose I can tone it down. I just wanted to look my best. After all you look better with a good looking woman beside you. Certainly will make you look better than the Captain." Sarah slid her hand back around his neck. "And what better looking woman to make you look good than me?"

Tom smiled, having always admired Sarah's confidence. He knew that in this case it was an act but it left him an opening to complement her. "I suppose if you put a rock next to a diamond that rock will look good."

Sarah's hand pulled him down gently and Tom let her guide him, not that he really had a choice. She directed his head to her shoulder where he nuzzled his head into the clean white fabric. "So then, if you're not avoiding the run, speech, or dance what are you avoiding?" Tom groaned, wishing she would just give up on the subject. "Please tell me you're not afraid of poker night."

Tom considered ignoring her, maybe trying again at getting things started but her hand was toying with his hair which kept him in place. He decided she wasn't going to let the subject go. "I don't like gambling," he finally admitted.

Sarah laughed and Tom enjoyed the way it sounded with his ear pressed to her body. "Seriously?" Sarah asked still laughing lightly. "You're afraid of a little card game."

"I'm not afraid," Tom corrected. "I just don't want to gamble. That and I'm not good at bluffing. I'll lose all my money in a few minutes. I could just watch you play. I bet you've got one hell of a poker face."

"I was an ODST, Tom. Of course I have a good poker face." Sarah moved her hand down to run gently along the back of his neck. "I could teach you," she offered.

Tom raised his head from her shoulder, surprised by the offer. "Really? You'd teach me?" Tom frowned and narrowed his eyes. "What's the catch?" Sarah could be giving but at a time like this she usually wanted something in return.

Sarah smirked up at him and sat up. Tom found himself lying on the couch, the woman having moved fast enough that he hadn't registered her slipping out from under him and flipping him until now. "It's not a catch; you just have to play by my rules."

Tom stood up and watched as she adjusted the recliner they had in the living room. She then moved away and retrieved a deck of cards. They were her favorite, a commemorative set that had images of Covenant and UNSC personnel. Sarah moved back over and sat down on the recliner. "So, what are your terms?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to agree if it meant something unpleasant.

"Calm down, Tom, my terms aren't bad. I'm really just not interested in taking your money. Besides, this is about teaching you how to bluff and pick the right cards." She started to shuffle the cards. Tom just watched her, not understanding. Sarah dealt out the cards and they both picked up their hands. "Have you ever played strip poker before?"

Tom looked past his cards at her and frowned. "That's not fair. I'm awful at this game. You'd have me naked in eight rounds." Tom looked over his cards and furrowed his brow, not even sure what he should be looking for.

"You have no idea what you're doing," Sarah observed. "The idea is that you learn and get me naked rather than me stripping you." Sarah watched him, paying more attention to him than her own card. She sighed and grabbed a data tablet. Tom watched as she looked something up and then handed it over to him. Tom looked at the screen and realized it was basic instructions on playing poker.

Tom read the information and frowned as he realized that his hand was pretty bad. He looked over to Sarah who was studying him carefully. Tom passed her the cards he wanted to get rid of and she dealt him new ones. He sighed, not happy with what he'd gotten.

"I have a pair," Sarah announced, putting her cards down. Tom looked to the set of threes that were in her hand. "You've got nothing." It wasn't really a question but rather a statement. Tom put down his hand and leaned down to untie his shoe. "Both of them," Sarah instructed.

Tom looked up and groaned. "So you'll have me naked in six moves," he corrected. "And you can tell what I have in my hand." Tom pulled off his shoe and set them to the side.

"I can't tell what cards," Sarah corrected. "You're just very expressive. Don't get me wrong I like that you're expressive, but that's bad when you're bluffing. You have to keep emotion off of your face so you don't give away if your cards are good or bad." Sarah dealt out the next hand. "Now, I want you to keep a thought in your head, any thought you can focus on. Something that will keep your face consistent." Sarah took a deep breath and her face went neutral. She looked down at her cards and then back to him. There was nothing on her face that gave away anything.

Tom searched through his thoughts, looking for anything consistent. He thought of his routine aboard Infinity but stopped when he felt bored. He considered thinking of his academy days but tossed that out. For a moment he focused on what it would be like to win a hand and strip the Spartan he was playing against but had to stop when things heated up in his head and his mental self started doing a lot more than just stripping. He finally focused instead on their nights, sleeping beside each other. He smiled a bit and finally picked up his cards to look at them.

"Better, but let's see if you can keep it." They swapped out cards and Tom looked over his new hand. He could see Sarah watching him which made him frown. "We'll, that didn't last long," she muttered.

"Why do you look sad?" Tom asked. He recognized the look but couldn't place it. Tom placed his cards down so she could see then. "I don't have anything."

Sarah put down her own cards, nothing he could see in them either. "I'm not sad. I was thinking about something serious, not sad." She looked down over their cards. "All right, you won with a queen high." Sarah pulled off her socks and tossed them to the side. "So what were you thinking about?"

Tom blushed a bit, embarrassed. "Sleeping with you," he finally admitted. Sarah raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I mean lying with you in bed. You curled up, my arms around you, and just being comfortable. Seemed to be the one thought I could focus on."

Sarah smirked at him and nodded. "We'll that's a good idea. You look most natural when you're happy, smiling. Serious or frowning looks more troubling. It will also go better with the mood of the night. Not to mention there will probably be chatter at the table." Sarah dealt more cards. "So has that woman, the receptionist in HQ, stopped hitting on you or are we going to have to find an excuse for a public show of affection?"

Tom looked over his cards but focused mainly on the conversation. "She was flirting pretty aggressively the last time I was there, cleavage and all. I think she'll back off now as I made a sort if comment about my perfect Spartan girlfriend. If that doesn't give her a clear enough picture I think the only thing that would convince her to stop would be having sex on her desk."

Sarah laughed and tossed away a couple cards, drawing new ones. "Wow, you're either feeling generous or you're really horny. Either way it's working. Forget about teaching, I'm going to strip you, pin you down to that couch, and have some fun."

"Sure giving me a good reason to just throw away my hands," Tom joked. "Though for all I know you're idea of fun involves me on my knees." He picked up his new cards and looked over his hand. "A pair of fours."

"Wow you suck at this game," Sarah commented. "I do have to admit that that does sound like fun. Though I was more of thinking of breaking out the handcuffs again." Sarah put down her hand and Tom frowned at her pair of tens.

Tom slipped off his socks and replied. "Those things do a lot of damage to my wrists. Or at least they did last time we used them. As long as this time I don't bleed. Though are you sure you won't consider the whipped cream?" Tom passed her his cards.

Sarah started to shuffle and looked down at the cards in her hands. "They did hurt you a lot," she conceded, dealing the cards. She looked at her cards but Tom could tell she was disappointed. It wasn't that she was into bondage or anything but when he'd been handcuffed to the bed she had been in control, something that she couldn't do any more. The last time she'd been forceful enough that his wrist were sore and he had to hide the red marks for weeks after.

"Tell you what; if you strip me first you get to use the handcuffs. I have a week to recover and if we wrap cloth around my wrist first it should be fine. If I strip you first we break out the whipped cream and I get to have my own fun," Tom proposed. He looked his cards over for a second, grabbing a pair of cards and passing them over.

Sarah didn't switch out any cards but she did lean over and pulled him close. Her lips touched his cheek gently. "You are such a sweet man." She set down her cards and looked at them for the first time. "Well I've got nothing."

Tom put down his own cards to show that he had almost a flush but one card off. He frowned as he realized that her jack was higher than his ten. "I wouldn't call it sweet, just horny. What would you say if I wanted you to tie me up to the bed and spank me?" Tom pulled his gray t-shirt off and tossed it onto the couch.

"I'd say: I'm sure the cutting board would make a fine paddle if you're really interested." Sarah smirked as she dealt them another hand. She paused for a moment and reached over, letting her hand run over his chest. Tom smiled and flexed a little for her. Sarah looked up to him and smiled. "Good thing I've always been a bigger fan of the pistol than the shotgun."

"Oh, so you think I'm not a shotgun?" Tom asked, faking hurt. He knew he was far from the most muscular man that Sarah could be with but pistol seemed a bit much. "We'll lucky for you I've always preferred the shotgun."

"I have no idea what to make of that," Sarah admitted. She switched out one of her cards and picked up a new one. "How exactly am I a shotgun?"

"Sleek, beautiful look, can kill basically anything with ease, and fits perfectly in my hands." Tom smiled and looked over his cards. "Though I don't get how I'm a pistol. I know I'm not that muscular but it seems excessive."

"Has nothing to do with strength," Sarah corrected him. "A pistol is a reliable weapon that people often underestimate. It is effective, it has never let me down, and I like to keep one close almost all the time." She put down her cards and Tom cursed as he saw the three sixes.

Tom pulled his undershirt off and tossed it over with his shirt. "Do we have to actually do this? Can't you just take off my pants and get started? I mean I'm not going to get off any more than I already have."

"Nope, when you start something you finish it." Sarah shuffled the cards. "You don't actually want me to spank you, do you?"

Tom shook his head. "No, I was just trying to come up with something." He watched as she felt out the cards. "Would you actually spank me if I asked?" He watched her carefully trying to gauge her reaction.

"If that's what got you going, sure," Sarah answered. Her eyes met his and Tom was sure she was telling the truth. "Though if you were really into pain I'd think letting me be on top would be enough."

"Pain is not the same as a bruised pelvic bone," Tom argued before he swapped out a couple of his cards. Tom looked over his new cards. "So if I asked you to jerk me off you would? What if I asked you to put on a strap on?"

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "If that's what you want," she answered. "Though I wish you'd have a fetish that I didn't have to be really careful while doing." Sarah put down her cards and Tom frowned as he realized all her cards were low numbers.

"I'm not actually into either of those. I just wanted to know how much you were willing to do," Tom explained as he put down his own cards. He had two fives so he'd actually won.

Sarah started to slowly unbutton her shirt. "Tom if you asked me to drop hot wax on you and have sex with you while you're in a cat costume I would if you wanted. I would do anything." As she finished speaking Sarah pulled her uniform open. Tom watched as she arched her back and let the cloth slip from her shoulder and onto the chair behind her.

Tom was aware that she was putting on a show but he wasn't complaining. Sarah knew him well enough to know exactly what got his motor running. "Maybe I'll have you lick the whipped cream off of me."

Sarah gathered up the cards and grinned. "You know I think we have a fresh can in the mini-fridge." She shuffled and dealt the cards. "I do like the idea of whipped cream with a nice Lasky after taste."

Tom looked at his cards and smiled. "I would think you'd prefer chocolate sauce." He picked out three of his cards and passed them over. "We might have a chocolate bar you can heat up."

"You're really trying to get me to just give up on this game." Sarah smiled and swapped two of her cards. She put down her hand and Tom frowned again as she had all low cards.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you were trying to lose." Tom placed his cards down, a king high and a pair of twos. "Seems you've been getting bad cards."

"Good thing you know better. I was actually going for a flush for last round and a straight this round." Sarah reached behind her and frowned. "Could you help me?" She turned around, presenting the clasp of her bra to him.

Tom smiled, knowing what she was doing. He moved a bit closer to her and undid the clasp. His hands moved up to the straps, pushing them down, over her shoulders. He let it fall down her arms, his hands moving around her torso to cup her breast. He massaged the soft flesh gently as he leaned forward, kissing the flesh of her back. She jumped slightly as he pinched her nipples playfully. Sarah laughed in response which wasn't exactly what he had expected. "Sure you don't want to end the game?" He asked, nipping at the flesh of her back.

"I told you I don't quit things I start," Sarah said, turning in his grip. Tom tried hopelessly to keep her from turning but his grip on her failed. She slid back away from him but she's sat back as she shuffled the cards.

"Come on, Sarah, I'm not learning anything other than that I'm starting to hate poker because its cock blocking me." Tom took the cards that she passed him. He purposefully swapped out his highest number cards, hoping to get lower cards. "There's no way I'm going to do well on poker night."

"There was never a chance you were going to win. But that's not the point." Sarah tossed aside four of her cards for more. "You're not doing it to win the prize but be closer to the soldiers. That's why I'm taking part, and why Del Rio isn't. You only have to do well enough that you get to talk to the people."

Tom put down his cards and watched her. "I suppose you are right. I just don't want to embarrass myself too badly. I mean I just think it looks better if I can bluff."

Sarah put down her cards and she stood up. "You're not bad at bluffing, you just need the right thing to think about." She unlatched her belt and pulled it free. "Are we considering the belt a separate article of clothing?"

"No, belt and pants are one thing. Take it off," he reached out and tugged at the cloth of her pants. Sarah smiled at him but didn't do anything. He finally stood up as well. "Need a little help?" His hands moved down to the waist of her pants.

"I could use some help. I'm a bit distracted." Her hand moved up to his chest, gently touching his skin. "Would you mind?" Her hands moved up to his shoulder and moved forward enough to press her chest against his.

Tom unbuttoned her pants and leaned forward. He unzipped her pants as he pressed their lips together, both actions slow and deliberate. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled her pants down and let it fall to the floor. She held him a bit tighter as his hand moved between her legs, teasing her through the cloth. His hand gently pulled the tie from her hair. "Still want to play?"

Sarah slipped her arms from his neck and suddenly wrapped them around his waist. He had to hold onto her shoulders as she suddenly lifted him up. Tom should feel embarrassed, being man handled like this but he'd become used to it. He couldn't lift Sarah, her muscles were more dense so she weighed more than was normal, and too much for Tom to lift. She carried him through the apartment, to the bedroom. She set him down on the bed and moved up onto the mattress with him. "You win," she relented. "Who's eating who?"

"Get the cuffs and the cream," Tom said before pulling her down for a kiss. His hands moved over her skin. "We'll call it a tie."

Sarah pulled away from him and smiled. She moved down a bit to sit on his legs, hands moving to his belt. She unbuckled his belt and slid it out. She slowly unbuttoned his pants as her lips gently touched his neck. She unzipped his pants and slid her hand under the fabric. Tom bucked toward her hand as her fingers touched his skin. She pulled a bit away from him. "I only had to win one more round?"

Tom smiled and shrugged. "I felt a bit lazy today." He closed his eyes as she rubbed him again. His hands moved up to her chest, eager to return the feeling. "Are you ever going to take them off or just fondle me in my pants? What's wrong, afraid to look at it?"

"No, just want to be sure it won't look too small when I finally pull those pants down." Sarah sat up and Tom reluctantly let her chest once more leave his touch. She moved to the edge of the bed, grabbing the waist of his pants and pulled them down. She pulled his pants all the way off before she removed her own underwear. She moved over to the bedside table and opened a draw, retrieving the handcuffs, before opening the fridge they kept under the table. They usually kept drinks or snacks in the fridge. Sarah moved over to a dresser and pulled out two pairs of underwear. She climbed up onto the bed again and held up the items. "Ready?"

Tom held up his hands, offering them to her to be wrapped and cuffed. "Oh, you know it."


End file.
